Computer Problems Might Mean Registry Problems

It is generally agreed that with the newer Microsoft operating systems like Vista and XP, it is no longer necessary to run a registry cleaner.  Because these operating systems are based on Windows NT, invalid or corrupt registry keys should not adversely affect your computer's performance.

Despite the fact that you have an XP or Vista operating system, you could still have bad registry keys that are messing up your PC performance, particularly if you recently removed adware, spyware or other malware from your computer.

If your software is not running correctly or takes forever to load, it's worth your time to check out the registry.

Microsoft's operating systems provide a program that is called 'regedit' that you can access from the 'start/run' command.  When you access regedit, you will see the entire contents of your registry folder.  This will enable you to identify the bad keys and remove them directly from the registry, using the regedit program.

The non-technical computer user does not understand the meanings of the reigstry keys.  Fortunately, there are registry cleaner programs available for free or for a small fee that will identify any bad keys.  These programs will either delete the bad keys automatically or allow you to manually delete the invalid keys through a series of prompts that the registry cleaner software produces.

Be wary of downloading free registry cleaners or antivirus programs.  Some of these programs include adware or other forms of malicious code that will create a lot of trouble for you down the road.  If you cannot spare a few bucks and need a free registry cleaner, be sure to download your software from a trusted service like cNet that verifies that the freeware is free of spyware, adware, and trojans.

If your software programs are not running efficiently, visit the NotGuru blog's computer tips section, where you will find a step-by-step tutorial on how to clean your registry.  Forget about taking notes while watching a video -- The tutorial includes screenshots and text that you can print out for easy reference.  It also recommends trusted registry cleaner software.